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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bound — certain
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pop — to visit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pop — soda
  9. deal — to handle
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — obliged
  12. key — in music
  13. pop — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lie — to recline
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fall — the season
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com